What Ohio State coach Ryan Day said during his press conference on Monday, previewing the College Football Playoff First Round game against Tennessee on Saturday night (8 p.m. Eastern Time, ABC/ESPN) at Ohio Stadium in Columbus:

His message to Ohio State fans ahead of the Tennessee game

“Well, I’m excited for our players, but I’m excited for our fans to get back together this Saturday in The Shoe for a historic event like we talked about last time. This is, right now, the first time it’s ever happened before. And I think for everyone to get back together is exciting. And I know our players are that way. We had our senior tackle yesterday. And to listen to these guys get up there and talk about how much they love this university, they love their teammates, they love this program. And then to spend some time with the parents and and talk to them about their sons and the work and the sacrifice they’ve made. And it was a great day to spend time with our seniors and what they put in. And so for them to get an opportunity to play at home in something like this is great. But it’s just is exciting for our fans. And just like our players, our fans are invested in this in a big, big way. So it’s going to be an exciting day, exciting night, 8 o’clock kickoff. And then this week of work for us is going to just continue to build to Saturday.”

Ohio State’s offense being more deliberate about huddling this season

“From the beginning of the season, the idea was that this is a new era. This is a new season for us, obviously, with the with the number of games that we’ve been in. And also with the addition of coach-to-player communication. There’s just there’s different things that come in schematically that way, but also the number of plays came down. I think the other thing, too, about the huddle, which was significant this year for us, was just getting everybody together and and having Will (Howard) be in the huddle and look everybody in the eye, talk to him about the down-and-distance, talk to him about what happened on the last play. And bring everybody together, the offensive line, talking together, the receivers. And that’s important. It really is. It’s kind of something we’ve almost lost when you’re in a no-huddle situation, you can find yourself almost on your own. And having Seth in in the huddle at times this year was great, and and so that’s been a big part of it. Mixing in the no-huddle part of it as a change of pace certainly does change the tempo and can be an advantage. And so we’ll certainly make sure that’s part of our plan as we head into the playoffs. It has been this year as well. We’ve used both of them. But I think with the change of pace in terms of the clock stopping after first downs really only happening inside of two minutes now, the games go faster. And so it’s a lot more focused on efficiency. And we’re going to play against a team that’s going to play faster on Saturday night. So we know what we need to do defensively in terms of getting lined up. And they’re going to challenge us. And they’re a very good team. I give Tennessee a lot of credit. They’re well coached and they have a great attack. And so we have to do a great job of getting lined up in that in those situations. But I think for us, we found a good rhythm with that. I think it’s allowed us to be more efficient, but there’s also times when we need to speed it up to put more stress on the defense.”

How difficult it is to deal with the roster and NCAA Transfer Portal while trying to prepare for a playoff game

“Well, the number one focus is Tennessee right now. But as you know, you can’t just live in a vacuum, and we have to plan for the future. And the fact that these players having to make a decision right now knowing that the playoffs haven’t even started yet, is very difficult on them. It’s difficult on us. That’s just the way it is. You’re asking kids to make decisions on their future, yet they still want to be with their team and play in the playoffs. And their teammates, who are seniors, are relying on them to still be part of the team. So all challenges for us, but I think we’re handling it well. I think that we have a group of guys that want to be together and understand what what’s ahead of us. For the staff, we’re doing everything we possibly can to make sure that we’re retaining the players and providing them with what they need and then also making sure that if there are some things in the portal that we need to fill holes with, we’ll do that. And there are some good players out there. But the number one focus right now is beating Tennessee.”

If there will be any changes on the Ohio State offensive line

“Luke Montgomery’s got some some reps at guard. And you’re probably going to see him at guard some of this game. We’ll see how this week goes, but Austin will be rotating in there as well with Tegra (Tshabola). So that’ll be the plan now. We still have a whole week of preparation and things can change as of tomorrow when we get on the field. But the plan right now would be to rotate those guys.”

Backup quarterback Devin Brown entering the NCAA Transfer Portal, if he’ll still be the backup in the Tennessee game

“Julian (Sayin is) getting a lot of reps in there. Devin, right now, is the backup quarterback, but Julian’s right there. And he needs to continue to push in that area. And you just never know how this thing’s all going to shake out. There’s a lot of football ahead of us, and so we’ll need all those guys. And I give Devin credit. He wants to finish this thing out the right way, but he also wants to see what other options are available for his future. And I think it’s not an easy thing for him to do, but I give him credit for wanting to finish this thing out the right way.”

What they have seen from Luke Montgomery to believe he’ll be ready for a playoff game

“Well after the Penn State game, we got a lot of confidence coming out of that game with Carson (Hinzman) playing guard. He really stepped in and did some great things. You don’t always know what you’re going to get until you get into those games scenarios as you know. And then when when Seth went down, we went back to Austin because he gave us the most experience, at least coming in from the first few games when Donovan went down. And Luke was still coming on. He was getting better, but we just felt at the time that was the right move. And there was some good plays and some not so good plays coming out of the Indiana game. And then after assessing the last game, we feel like Luke deserves an opportunity. And I don’t know if it’s that he’s done that much more than maybe he’s done in the past, but he was close anyways. And so now it’s it’s about time to give him an opportunity.” 

If it’s easier to go with a less experienced player when there’s multiple weeks to get ready for a game

“That’s right. Yeah. Exactly. The more reps you get, it’s at a concept or a play, allows somebody who’s in that role to adapt quicker to some of the things they may see in the game and have a better handle on the game plan.”

On if there’s anything different logistically about preparing for a CFP game

“No. I think we’re staying on the same routine that we’ve been on. We’re going to still use some of our playoff experiences to use as a reference for this game. But when you look at it, first off, it’s a quick turnaround. There was a week where you’re in limbo, and then on Sunday you find out you’re playing Tennessee, you have one week and now you’re in the game week. 

And so what we try to do is continue to stay on the game week routine. I think that that’s the way to go. When you play in a bowl and you have a lot more time off, then it’s different. You get some of the young guys work, some of the older guys spend a couple weeks resting, working on Indy, but not getting as many reps. This, we pretty much stayed on a game routine and we did that last week. We had our Sunday. Today’s our off day, and Tuesday will be a normal Tuesday for us. So it’s been pretty much like a game week for us, and we’re gonna keep it that way.”

If offensive guard Luke Montgoery has been repping on the left or right side

“He’s been mostly getting reps at left, but he will have an opportunity to get reps at right as well.”

If players who entered the portal last week will stay on the roster for the CFP

“Gabe (Powers) will not be on the roster. Kojo (Antwi) will be. Jayden (Ballard) will not be.” 

Trying to get Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka the ball more without forcing it to them

“I think, you gotta learn coming out of the season on where you’ve been. I think that the team that we started with at the beginning of the season, where we were in the middle of the season, and where we are now are all three different areas for different reasons. And the bottom line is when you look at where we are right now, we’ve gotta make sure that we’re maximizing our strengths and minimizing our weaknesses or deficiencies, and that we all have to take accountability to do our job. Like, those are the areas that we gotta focus on. Now what does that mean schematically? I don’t really wanna get into that, but that’s the bottom line. And we are in a different place when you think about where our offense was at the beginning of the year, the middle of the season, and now— it’s different. Same thing with our defense. What we thought going into the season, midseason, and now you can see that we’ve changed now. It hasn’t been drastic, but enough. And I think that’s the most important thing. So, yeah, we gotta make sure that we’re getting our best players the ball, but that’s what  I’m talking about. Maximizing our strengths, we gotta be able to do that, and that’s very important in this game.”

If QB Will Howard was limited in the second half against Michigan

“He’s doing great. He’s had a good couple weeks of practice. He’s ready to go. I know he wants to, just like all of us, move on and focus on Tennessee. There’s certainly plays that he’ll wanna have back on in that game. But one thing about Will is, he’s got a very positive mindset and he’s very resilient. You can see he’s got a bounce in a step right now. He wants to get back on the field as fast as he possibly can. You can see that. And he wants to lead this offense, and it’s gonna be a very important part of this game on Saturday night is his leadership. And he’ll be ready to go.”

What they can take away from the leadup to the 2022 CFP game against Georgia coming off a loss against Michigan

“I think there were guys who were part of that game on the team and part of being in the playoffs. So they know what it’s like to play in the playoffs, which is great. There’s a bunch of guys in the room that don’t. I think for us to recognize that once you get into the playoffs, it’s a brand new start. And I think that’s what our guys have recognized now. The fact that they’ve earned the opportunity to play in the playoffs. That’s it. We have two top five victories, and we have 10 wins. And there’s a lot of teams across the country that aren’t in the playoffs. So the bottom line is, we are in the playoffs, and every team is going to have their issues and deficiencies. And the teams that can address those, the best are going to win this thing. And that’s it. It’s a new era. It’s a different time, and I think our guys recognize that. And I think the guys, especially who played in that game, also realize that no matter how the season ends, like that game is coming, and you gotta learn from it and grow from it and go from there. And sometimes you can be really, really close to something and not realize it. And what you have to do is just keep pushing forward and keep rolling and keep going. And that’s been the message to our guys.”

Tennessee’s tempo affecting everything Ohio State is doing

“Well, Chip was one of the first to ever do this, and I was his quarterback. So we were laughing about that the other day, and it’s kinda gone full circle. And the idea of their offense first off, they’re very, very well coached, and they have a very, very good plan on what they do. And they play physical and they run the ball up inside. But when you’re going no huddle, the first thing they want you to do is they want you to not get aligned, and they want you to not communicate well. They wanna stretch you horizontally. They wanna stretch you vertically, get you in space. And then, obviously, not run to the ball and get tired and those type of things and play undisciplined. I mean, that’s the whole idea of it and that they’re gonna be in better shape than you are at the end of the day. So we know what that style is. We know what the philosophy is, but it doesn’t make it easy. It’s like playing an option team. You don’t really understand it until you’re playing against it. So we’ve had a couple of weeks to prepare for this. I think the preparation’s been good. I think (DC) Jim’s (Knowles) plan is excellent going in, and I think that our scout teams have done a good job. We’ve been doing some good on good work to try to press our guys and make sure they understand how stressful it is to play against his style. But, ultimately, it’s still gonna come down to taking on blocks, defeating blocks, and tackling in space.”

What he’s doing to help his team play free and easy

“Again, like the fans, like the university, like our players, the coaches— we are all invested in this thing in a big, big way. And I wish some of you guys could have seen our senior tackle yesterday just to see how much these players care, how much these coaches care. And as the season goes on, you continue to build and grow and you just build this brotherhood together, and you’re invested in each other. And so when you win a game, it’s thrilling. When you lose a game, it can be heartbreaking. And we understand that, and we’re not gonna apologize for that because we care a lot. And we know what it means to Ohio State to win football games around here. We understand what that game means. But ultimately, that’s behind us. And you learn from it, and then you move on, and that’s it. Because it doesn’t do us any good moving backwards. So that’s it. The focus is on Tennessee. You grow, you build. And I think this team is prepared to go play in this playoffs. 

“You know, I don’t know the other teams. There are great teams out there, but I know this team, and I know what they’re made of. And they’re resilient, and they’re tough, and they’re mature. And again, they care a lot about Ohio State. They care about this team, this university, just like the coaching staff and myself. And we’re going play our tails off on Saturday night.”

If it has helped to have a couple weeks between a bad loss against Michigan and a playoff game against Tennessee

“It’s like one week, OK, that’s one thing. A month, there’s another challenge with that. Three weeks, there’s kind of the the sweet spot with that. It allowed us a week to to sort through the issues and get them addressed, take accountability, because that’s a big part of that. Nothing matters if the problems aren’t fixed. And then we don’t make adjustments. That’s what it comes down to. And then the recognition that, OK, we’re in the playoffs now. That game is behind us. The Game is never going change. It’s never going to change here at Ohio State. However, like, the playoffs have. The expanded playoffs have. The format has. This is very different than it’s been in the past. So alright, we’re in this thing, and now we got two weeks to prepare. So I think that part’s been good and that’s that’s kind of been the layout.”

What it has been like trying to get this veteran Ohio State team ready for the playoff

“Well, I think as a group, everybody leaned on each other and pushed each other (past the Michigan loss), and I think when you look at the guys in this program, you just you see great guys. You see really first off, you see great players, but you see great men, mature men. We have 29 seniors the other day who who spoke at senior tackle and I just couldn’t be any prouder of of the type of guys that these these men are. And they understand. They understand what’s at stake. They understand when they come here, the high expectations of what’s expected, but they also know what’s in front of them. And like anything else, once you identify it and you move on, I mean, that’s life. And there’s going to be ups and downs. And several of our seniors talked yesterday at senior tackle about the ebbs and flows of life. And when things are really good, you got to enjoy them. When things aren’t, you got to hang on and continue to get them fixed. And then eventually, you’re going to get them back on track. And that is life. And life is a fight. So when you have a mature group like this, is it easy? No. It’s not easy, but it certainly helps to have a great group. And we had a really good week of practice last week with great energy, and we’re going to have another great week this week.”

His discussions with offensive coordinator Chip Kelly about how to fix what went wrong against Michigan 

“Well, I think there’s two things. I think, one, again, we have to maximize our personnel. We’ve talked about that. I think the second thing is, in some of these games moving forward, just like in this last game, I think we were only 33% or 32% — it might even been a little bit less, but it was right around 30% — of our total snaps were what we we call CNN, situation normal normal, which means first and second down in the middle of the field. There were coming out situations. There were two-minute situations. There were third-down situations. There were red-zone situations. And I don’t think we did a very good job in those situations, and we talk about situations a lot. We had a turnover in coming out. We had five opportunities in the red zone. We only had 10 points. And I didn’t think we were particularly good on third down. And so we’ve got to do a better job in those situations. I think that is very, very important. Now in those situations, schematically, how do we want to attack a defense? I think that’s good conversation. We are a different offense than we were three weeks ago, five weeks ago and at the beginning of the season. I think we need to recognize that. But that’s not just the only thing here. There was a lot that went into that game and we got make sure we’re playing good situational football.”

Using past College Football Playoff experiences to prepare for the new 12-team playoff format

“I think so. I think when you’re getting ready for a game like this, the preparation is critical. I think you got to do a great job identifying your strengths versus them. And like normal, in these situations, you’re going against an opponent that you don’t typically see. It’s a team from another conference, that isn’t something that you’re used to seeing. So you don’t always know how does this team play or what is the competition like when it’s not apples to apples. So I think you have to do a great job of predicting that and making sure that you put your guys in the best position to be successful. And also making sure that you’re doing enough things that you know and enough change ups along the way to create plays for your team. And so I think that’s very, very important. I think it’s it’s important early in the game to have some confidence, to get some early wins to build confidence in the game. This one will be different though because it’s at home. So I think we’ve talked to our team about that part of it, and I think we have enough guys in the program that have been in this this environment before, so there is a reference point.” 

Some coaches donating back parts of their salaries with revenue sharing coming to college sports 

“I mean, I’ve just been focused on on this game right here. But I can tell you that there’s always different things that everyone’s trying to look at to figure out how to raise money for NIL right now. There’s no question. And I know it’s a daily conversation here at Ohio State, to try to figure out how do we best provide those opportunities for our players. That’s the bottom line because as we talk about recruiting right now, whether it’s high school players or in the portal, it’s just a major part of the discussion. And everybody usually starts with, well, NIL is not the the number one thing, but it quickly gets to that. That’s just life. And the numbers that people are talking about nowadays, it is very important that we’re on the cutting edge of that here at Ohio State. And those numbers right now only seem to be going up. I know that with the revenue share, there’s a plan to put a cap on this. But right now, um, those numbers seem to be going up. And so we’re always looking to find ways to raise more money.”

If playing a cold-weather game against Michigan helps prepare Ohio State for Saturday night’s game

“It does (take some getting used to). Yeah. And being outside last week and practicing outside and acclimating to the weather, it makes a big difference. We’ll be out there today and, yeah, it’s like playing in the playoffs. Talk to them about being in Kansas City or in Lambeau (Field) or Buffalo Bills in the AFC championship game. That’s what it’s all about is playing these types of games in in December. Not that maybe growing up they thought that this is what it would look like in college football, but here we are. And our guys are excited about it and excited about being at home. And I think they’re excited about the weather too because we’re practicing it now for a few weeks.” 

The 8th-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes get a home game in the first round of the 2024 College Football Playoff, welcoming the No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers for a Saturday clash in Columbus. The first-round contest is slated for Dec. 21 at 8 p.m. ET (3 p.m. CT) with tickets still available to watch it live.

How to get Ohio State vs. Tennessee tickets: Seats are still available for the first-round College Football Playoff matchup between the Buckeyes and Volunteers on secondary sites Vivid Seats, StubHub, SeatGeek and Viagogo.

As of Dec. 15, the starting prices were as follows:

• Vivid Seats starting at $163
• StubHub starting at $176
• SeatGeek starting at $175
• Viagogo starting at $153

#8 Ohio State Buckeyes (10-2) vs. #9 Tennessee Volunteers (10-2)

2024 College Football Playoff first round

When: Saturday, Dec. 21 at 8 p.m. ET

Where: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

Ohio State was well on its way to a spot in the Big Ten title game and had logged a pair of top-5 wins over No. 3 Penn State (20-13) and No. 5 Indiana (38-15) down the stretch, before falling for the fourth straight year in their rivalry series with Michigan. The Buckeyes offense was stymied on their home field and went for just 252 yards, still outgaining the Wolverines but also throwing two interceptions and averaging 3.0 yards per carry on the ground. Ohio State still earned a bid in the 2024 College Football Playoff, but had to settle for a No. 8 seed and a tough first-round bout with Tennessee.

• Ohio State vs. Tennessee College Football Playoff tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek | Viagogo

The Volunteers finished with the same 10-2 record as the Buckeyes and were also the first team outside looking in at the Southeastern Conference championship game. In Tennessee’s case, both losses came on the road, first in an upset to Arkansas (19-14) in Week 6, then to No. 12 Georgia (31-17) in Week 12 before closing with wins over UTEP and Vanderbilt. The Vols bring balance to this matchup, ranking No. 4 nationally in scoring defense (13.9 ppg) and No. 8 in scoring offense (37.3 ppg).

College Football Playoff week has arrived in Columbus, as No. 8 seed Ohio State is preparing to host No. 9 seed Tennessee in the first home Playoff game at Ohio Stadium on Saturday night.

When the game was announced, it seemed like a nightmare matchup for the Buckeyes. Though there is a mismatch in the trenches in favor of the Vols, I still think there’s a way for Ohio State to take advantage of its strengths. Here are my takeaways from a week of watching Tennessee film after a season of covering Ohio State games:

Vols defensive line is as good as advertised

The main reason everybody thinks this is a bad matchup for the Buckeyes is because of the Tennessee defensive line against a struggling Ohio State offensive line.

The Vols are led by James Pearce Jr., one of the best edge rushers in the country. He has 52 pressures — tied for eighth nationally, per PFF — and can win with power and speed. But the strength of Tennessee is stopping the run.

Tennessee is giving up a national-best 0.82 yards before contact, according to TruMedia. The Vols are in the top 10 in tackles for a loss and rush defense, as well.

How do they do it? There’s a lot of talent along that line beyond Pearce. Defensive tackle Bryson Eason, a 310-pound senior, is physical and disruptive at the point of attack. A lot of teams have one good defensive lineman, somebody an offense can scheme to stop, but Tennessee has multiple impact players and rotates up front.

The linebackers attack the gaps quickly too. Tennessee is missing captain Keenan Pili, who tore his ACL against Florida, and his loss is notable. Still, the entire defense comes together to stop the run. If Ohio State misses one block or is slow on a pull, Tennessee will exploit that and be in the backfield.

It’s one of the reasons Tennessee is so good inside the red zone defensively. The Vols are giving up a touchdown on just 44.1 percent of red zone attempts, fourth nationally. Simply put, you can’t run at Tennessee and expect to gain yards consistently. That’s the fear many Ohio State fans have because they just watched the Buckeyes attempt to do that against Michigan and fail miserably.

But Ohio State isn’t going to just give up on the run game. Nor should it, given the presence of talented running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins. The last thing Ohio State needs to do is throw the ball 50 times and let a Tennessee defense that is ranked seventh nationally in pressure rate tee off on quarterback Will Howard.

What Ohio State can do is add some more creativity to its offense.

Teams have had success with some jet sweeps and motions against the Vols at times. That’s not a new concept to Ohio State, which has used various jet sweeps and touch passes with receivers Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith

Ohio State can build off those motions. It’s deep enough at receiver to show different motions to make Tennessee watch multiple things on one play.

The Buckeyes are going to run the ball, and Tennessee is going to stuff them on multiple occasions. That’s just the reality. But if Chip Kelly can scheme up some runs on the outside, different motions and ways to get Tennessee moving other than right up the designated gaps, they can have some success.

And “some” success is all Ohio State might need to open up the passing game.

There are plays to be made through the air

Pearce, who is projected as the No. 19 pick in Dane Brugler’s latest mock draft, is versatile and makes an impact often. If Ohio State is going to throw the ball, it will need tackle Josh Fryar to win more often than not against Pearce. Even in the moments he doesn’t win, he can’t give up immediate pressures and Howard is going to need good pocket awareness to step out of harm’s way.

Tennessee is really good at changing things up with its pass rush, even when rushing four. There have been times when it just lets Pearce go to work, but it is also willing to run some four-man stunts to create free shots at the quarterback for him.

If Ohio State’s offensive line can hold up, the Vols’ secondary can be beaten, though there’s talent there as well. Sophomore Jermod McCoy is a second-team All-SEC cornerback who has given up just 27 catches on 58 targets this season, according to PFF. He makes plays on the ball with four interceptions and baits well in zone coverage. Even when he gives something up, he’s usually in the right place to make the completion difficult.

Still, Ohio State has a deep receiving corps led by Smith, Egbuka and Carnell Tate that is built to win against man coverage and also make contested tight-window catches against zone coverage. If Howard has time and Kelly puts the ball in his talented receivers’ hands, that’s where Ohio State’s advantage can be. And it will have to be in the red zone, where running will get harder.

Ohio State has to trust its receivers in the matchup, as they’re the Buckeyes’ biggest matchup advantage.

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Stopping the run is priority No. 1 for Ohio State defense

The first name on the board in defensive meeting rooms has to be running back Dylan Sampson. He’s had a terrific season as Tennessee’s workhorse back, running for 1,485 yards and 22 touchdowns to earn first-team All-SEC honors.

He’s a good back and his numbers speak to that, but they’re also a byproduct of his carries. He carried the ball 256 times this season, which is 69 times more than anybody else in the SEC. He runs behind a good offensive line, but teams have had success slowing him down when they get bodies to him quickly. He’s averaging 3.62 yards after contact, which ranks 52nd among 159 FBs running backs with 100 carries, per TruMedia. A good number, but not scary if you’re Ohio State, which ranks fifth in yards per rush allowed (2.85) and ninth in yards before contact allowed (1.15).

The key is to be consistent about getting as many bodies to the ball as soon as possible.

I’ll use the Tennessee-Alabama game as an example. In the first half, the Crimson Tide had Sampson and the Tennessee offense bottled up, shutting them out. But in the third quarter, they put together a seven-play, 91-yard drive. Every positive play was a run, and Sampson ran for 53 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown. That opened the game up for Tennessee, which went on to win 24-17.

It sounds easy from behind a computer to just say “stop the run,” but this is going to be a full-team effort. Sampson and backup DeSean Bishop are good at finding small creases to make defenders miss and create a big play.

DYLAN SAMPSON CONTINUES TO BALL THIS SEASON 🔥

A 27-YD TOUCHDOWN TO RETAKE THE LEAD VS. GEORGIA 😤 pic.twitter.com/HmuJLppFvZ

— ESPN (@espn) November 17, 2024

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There was a run by Sampson in the loss to Arkansas where a safety came down in the box and went right to go around a block, but one quick juke from Sampson to his right led to a 53-yard run and a touchdown one play later.

Ohio State linebackers Cody Simon, Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles have to be in the right gaps. One big run could open the floodgates for the Vols. It’s also going to take some help from the safeties, who will surely have to creep into the box at times.

Sampson is statically comparable to Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson, who ran for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns on 240 carries but was held to 86 yards by the Buckeyes. But Iowa doesn’t have Nico Iamaleava at quarterback. Iamaleava adds to the game with his athleticism, legs and arm strength.

Stopping the run game is hard enough, but mix that with Tennessee’s tempo and it makes it even more difficult. The Vols are 13th nationally in total plays, averaging 74 per game. Ohio State is going to have to rotate up front, which means important reps for players like Kayden McDonald and freshman Eddrick Houston inside.

Tennessee isn’t one-dimensional on offense, as Iamaleava is a talented redshirt freshman with a cannon for an arm. Still, the Vols have been inconsistent despite coach Josh Heupel’s reputation for explosive offenses.

Part of that is because of Iamaleava’s inconsistent accuracy. He’s completing 65 percent of passes this season but hasn’t been great downfield. On passes thrown with 15-plus air yards downfield, according to TruMedia, Iamaleava ranks 49th with a 43.4 percent completion rate and is 83rd in off-target rate at 31.3 percent.

Second, I’m not sure Tennessee has a truly elite receiver. I do like Oregon transfer Dont’e Thornton Jr., an explosive weapon who has 647 yards and six touchdowns on just 25 catches, but the others have struggled. Squirrel White is small, just 5 feet 10, and has drop issues, and Bru McCoy (who missed the regular-season finale with an injury) hasn’t consistently made a big impact.

I don’t think Ohio State can live by stacking the box and playing straight man coverage every play, especially knowing Davison Igbinosun’s struggles with pass interference penalties. Although Tennessee isn’t going to take shots just for the sake of doing it, it sets them up well off its strong run game. If the box is loaded, a play-action call will come in. One misstep by a defensive back, and Iamaleava lets the ball fly.

That’s where Ransom and Downs are key. Whichever of the two is the deep safety must be ready for any play-action shots from Tennessee. Cornerbacks Denzel Burke and Igbinosun have to hold up in coverage, but Tennessee has speed on the outside, which means one mistake by the safeties could lead to a big play.

Fortunately for Ohio State, Ransom and Downs have been arguably the best safety duo in the country, both earning first-team All-Big Ten honors. They give Ohio State — which has allowed a national-low four passing touchdowns all season — an advantage.

Final thoughts

I’ve gone back and forth on this game since the matchup was announced, but I think it comes down to two things: which version of Howard shows up and how Kelly and Ryan Day approach the game plan after the issues against Michigan.

The offensive line is the offensive line. At this point in the season, that’s just a mismatch that Ohio State is going to have to find a way to scheme around. Ohio State needs Howard to flush his performance against Michigan and bring back the one who threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns against Oregon or who put two bad mistakes against Penn State behind him to lead the Buckeyes to a win anyway. I tend to think he’ll play well, but I’m not sure which play calling we’ll get from Kelly.

I don’t think they’ll run out the same game plan against Michigan. It just won’t happen. I side with the belief that Ohio State is going to let it loose, much like it did in its 2022 Playoff game against Georgia.

I’m set on predicting Ohio State to win this game, but there’s no doubt that Tennessee provides some matchup issues for the Buckeyes to overcome.

GO DEEPER

Initial thoughts on Ohio State’s tough draw in College Football Playoff field

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(Top photos of Will Howard and James Pearce Jr.: Michael Reaves and  Jacob Kupferman / Getty Images)